


A Not Quite Smooth Wooing

by Mawgon



Series: Dwarves care for consent - Series [1]
Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-09
Updated: 2015-05-13
Packaged: 2018-03-29 18:23:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 13,790
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3906166
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mawgon/pseuds/Mawgon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gerrun makes a living for herself and her elderly mother by selling colourful embroidery floss at the market in Laketown. Marrying has never been a priority, and at almost thirty, Gerrun  is close to resigning to spinsterhood. One day, her regular customer Dís is too busy to go to the market and sends Fíli instead. Gerrun is immediately smitten with the golden-haired dwarf, but of course, he can't be interested in an old spinster ... right? Wrong.<br/>Fíli has fallen in love at first sight, and decides to woo her properly. Him being a dwarf, while she is human, this is not as easy as he first imagines it to be.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MocaJava](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MocaJava/gifts).



> Fill for the "Dwarves are all about consent" prompt at Hobbit Kink Meme. http://hobbit-kink.livejournal.com/13429.html?thread=24934517#t24934517

After reclaiming Erebor, they had established trade relationships with Laketown, but only few things were bought in bulk. As only few dwarves had returned yet, it would not have made sense to have their own market. 

That was why, on a nice day in spring, Fíli went to Laketown to buy some embroidery floss for his mother. She was a busy woman these days, and the only dwarf living in Erebor who could embroider garments fit for a king. It just would not do for Thorin to present himself in pelts and grubby leather. 

Fíli sang as he walked, through the ruins of the old town, and through the gates of the new. The market was easy enough to find, but the search for the stall his mother had described to him was a bit more difficult. There was more than one seller of embroidery equipment.   
“A lass with amber hair and a nice, round face”, Dís had said. So the thin, dark-haired woman couldn’t be the right one. Neither could the old lady.   
And then, suddenly, he knew he had found her. Fíli stared for several moments, until he remembered his manners and averted his gaze. What a woman!   
Staring at his feet, he stepped a bit closer to the stall. “Excuse me.”

“How can I help you?”

Now it would be rude to not look at her, so he cautiously lifted his gaze. She was just as beautiful as he remembered, but now with a pink flush on her cheeks that made her even more lovely. 

“Um. I would like to purchase some of your goods.” He cleared his throat. What was it again he wanted to buy?

“Of course”, she replied quietly, averting his gaze. 

He had said something stupid. Everyone here wanted to buy something, that was why people came here! “Embroidery floss. For ...”

The vendor seemed to have regained her composure after having had to hide her shock at his stupidity. “For your mother?”

Fíli nodded. “She needs ruby-red, emerald green and granite grey. And lots of sapphire blue.” 

“I am no expert on this, but Lady Dís told me that precious stones come in many different colours, and some rubies are a different shade than others.” She pointed to a selection of red floss on the counter. “Which one of those?”

He took from his pocket the gems she had given him. “There – she gave me those to compare to ...”   
Immediately the vendor set to work, holding several shades of red floss against the ruby, several of green against the emerald, and so forth, without ever touching the gemstones he had placed on the countertop. 

When he nodded his approval, she wrapped the flosses in a piece of cloth and handed them to him. 

Fíli picked up the gemstones, and shuffled his feet. There must be something he had forgotten ... ah, yes, that was it. “Um. How much ...?”

She stared at him. He must have used the wrong words. “Oh, yes, five copper coins a piece.”

Carefully, Fíli counted the coins onto the countertop. “Thank you. Very much. For helping me pick the colours and ... and everything.”

“You are welcome.”

Now, there was nothing more to say, and so Fíli wished the vendor a good day and left the market. 

On his way home, the sky seemed bluer, and the birdsong sweeter than before. Amber hair ... yes, that was about right, though it had reminded Fíli more of honey. Beautiful either way. Maybe mother would be busy next week, too.


	2. Chapter 2

Gerrun hummed happily while packing up her goods in the afternoon. She had not sold much that day, which was the normal state of things, as she was too shy to yell out the quality and inexpensive prices of her goods at the top of her lungs. This day, though, she didn’t worry much about it. She was much too busy thinking about the dwarf. How polite he had been! And oh, what honour it was to be trusted around such precious gems! Not even Lady Dís, who was always very kind, had ever brought jewels to compare to the flosses. 

Lady Dís – of course! The young dwarf must be one of her sons. Then it was not so surprising, maybe, that he had trusted her. Gerrun hoped she had not insulted him by not addressing him with his title. He had not seemed angry ... no, really not. His blue eyes had been smiling, and he need not have brought the sapphire, for his eyes were much the same colour. 

 

Afternoon was for gathering herbs. It was a well-kept family secret which herbs they used to dye the silk floss, and that was how Gerrun could make a living for her elderly mother and herself even though she was not really talented at the selling part of the business. Today was a nice day for a walk, and whenever she looked up at the sky, Gerrun thought of a pair of blue eyes.   
Maybe he would come again? Why had he come in the first place? Only then, in the middle of a fen meadow, did Gerrun realize that she should have asked whether Lady Dís was well. Gerrun certainly hoped she was. In good health, and yet too busy to go to the market herself. That would be ideal. 

 

Fíli delivered the floss, and then went to the ruins at the mountainslope. There, he sat in the sunshine, a hood drawn over his head to prevent sunburn, and searched through the pebbles. 

“What are you doing?”

“Oh, hello Kíli. Well, what does it look like?” 

“You hope to find gold here?”

Fíli chuckled. “We have enough gold. This is more important.”

“More important than gold?”

“Much more important.” He picked up a tiny piece of what looked like green marble on the first glance. “What do you think of this one?”

“Green marble”, Kíli confirmed. “Not native to his mountain.What do you need it for?”

“Courting a woman, what else?”

“A human woman?”

“She is lovely enough to be a dwarf, but as she lives in Laketown, I assume she must be human.” He had not really paid attention to the lack of beard. Her stunning green eyes had distracted him. Or maybe it was the cute round nose. 

“She would be more impressed by a diamond.”

“I hardly know her!” A diamond for a first courting gift would be unspeakably rude! 

“That’s why you should listen to me. You have no idea what human women like. Give her a diamond and she will jump into your bed.”

“I am sure she will not.” Certainly, humans could not be that different from dwarves. Any decent person would be horribly embarrassed by being given a diamond, even a tiny one, and being unable to give a similarly precious gift in return. “And anyway, I don’t even know yet whether I want to marry her.”

“Suit yourself.” Kíli shrugged. “Anyway, uncle sends me to tell you lunch is ready.”

 

Lunch was delicious. Thorin had learnt one thing or the other from their burglar on the journey here, and even though Bilbo claimed to not know much about cooking, his skill was superior to those men who prepared the food at all taverns Fíli had ever seen from the inside. Except Bree. They employed a hobbit there. 

“Mother, is the floss I bought to your liking?”, Fíli asked casually when they were all gathered around the table. 

“Oh, yes, thank you, dear. All the colours are exactly what I need.”

“The vendor helped me select it. She seems to know you pretty well?”

“I always buy from her. She has the most colourful flosses.” Dís emptied her bowl, upon which Thorin gave her a second helping. 

“That is true. It was not easy to find her, though. You could have told me her name.”

Kíli nudged him with an elbow. “Just admit you’re in love with her.”

Fíli blushed. “It is a bit early to use that word”, he muttered. 

“Her name is Gerrun”, Dís replied. “I could introduce you at the next fair in Laketown.”

“I could find out where she lives”, Kíli offered. 

The older dwarves stared at him. 

“What?”

“That would be rude, my lad”, Dís explained patiently. “After all, we don’t know whether she likes him back. Business is business, and courting is courting.”

 

After talking to Kíli some more, Fíli’s doubts increased. Kíli could not be right about the diamonds. But he could be right about the pebble. Humans were different, and he would not want to insult Gerrun.   
So Fíli decided to ask an expert on the matter. Who would know better how to woo a human woman than their old friend Bard, a man who had been granted the honour to father as much as three children? 

When Fíli knocked at Bard’s door the next day, it was not Bard who opened, but his eldest daughter, Sigrid. 

“Father’s away. Do you want to wait for him? He should be here shortly.”

Fíli nodded. “Thank you.”

“There is no problem, is there?” She asked while they walked into the house. 

“What? Oh, no, not at all.” Maybe he had paid the family too few courtesy visits in the past months. “Actually, you might be able to help me, too.”

“Yes?”

Fíli sat down at the chair she pointed at, and rubbed his neck for a bit. Now that he was actually about to ask, it did feel a bit embarrassing. “Now, well, I met a woman I would like to court and ... and ... of course I know how to behave, but that is with dwarves.”

Sigrid grinned. “Oh, I will be able to help you! What would you do if she were a dwarf, though?”

“I would give her an appropriate gift. A small pebble.”

Sigrid nodded sagely. “That is what dwarves give their beloved? Stones?”

“What else?”

“Flowers? That’s what men do.”

“Makes sense.” A bit elvish, but he could see the appeal. Flowers wilted, but that was an advantage if the gift was not welcome. Definitely appropriate for a first gift. “Kíli suggested diamonds. What do you think of that?”

“Oh! Well, I guess, if she is very, very rich ...” Sigrid replied hesitatingly. 

He knew it! “I don’t think she is. She doesn’t wear any jewelery. So, flowers you say?”

“Definitely flowers. Without the root ... but you know that, right?”

“That’s how the elves use them, yes. Flowers without roots wilt, but I guess that is expected?”

“You can give her new flowers when the old ones are dead.”

“Makes sense.”


	3. Spring Fair

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I gave Laketown some festivals. Keeping it as culturally neutral as possible, because I'm not exactly a creative person. There's Spring Fair, and Summer Fair, and Harvest Fair, the first of which are get-togethers with dance and music, and lots of alcohol, and the last is also about celebrating the end of harvest, and a big market. And then there is some Midwinter thing I haven't decided on, yet.

Gerrun had not intended to go to the Spring Fair. It was too loud, there were too many people, and while she liked the music, she could hear that from far away. 

Then, however Dís had come to take a look at the purple floss, and inform Gerrun that she would be at the fair. “With some of my family. My son Fíli you have met already.”

“The one with the golden hair?” 

“Aye, that’s him. I will introduce you properly. If you find the time, that is.”

Of course she could find the time. 

Her mother, though, was not happy. “I think you’d better not be there”, she said while lighting her pipe. 

“What? You said I ought to enjoy my youth and have fun. That is exactly what I am doing.”

Her mother made some coils of smoke. “It is alright to be in love, but that boy is a prince. Nothing good can come from it.”

“Don’t be silly. His mother is a very nice woman. And I am not in love with him ... alright, maybe I am, but he certainly feels nothing of the sort. I am almost thirty, mother! Next year I will take the bonnet and become a respectable spinster, and your worries are over.” And yet, this time, she took great care to comb her hair and braid it nicely.   
Just because she was much too old to be of interest to such a handsome young man didn’t mean she couldn’t try to make a good impression. Besides, her favourite dress with the embroidered songbirds was good advertising for her business. 

 

 

Fíli was nervous. Despite Sigrid’s advice, he wasn’t sure whether he was doing it right. He had gotten up extra early to find just the right flower. What he had found was a daisy. A common flower, so that might be about the equivalent of a pebble, and he had selected one that was just the right shade of pink at the downside of the petals, and had a suitable high stem to be used for decorations as he had seen it in the vases and flower-crowns of the elves in Rivendell. 

He would pick it on the way to the fair, hopefully it would remain fresh long enough. 

“So, that’s it.” His mother finished off the last braid in his hair and secured it with a silver clasp. “A mightily bonny lad you are.”

He grinned nervously. Of course mother would say that, she was his mother, after all. 

She turned to his brother. “Come on, Kíli, just one simple braid. What will people think if you go there with your hair all messy like that?” 

“They’ll think I’m a manly ma- um, dwarf. Human women don’t like braids, mother.”

She snorted. “Then those human women have no taste. Just look at Fíli.”

“Your mother is right”, Thorin said. “When we traveled here, we were in mourning. It was alright then to shave your beard and neglect your hair. But now, you ought to take care of your appearance.”

“I bet I can still steal Fíli’s girl.”

Fíli glared at his brother. Kíli shrugged. “I didn’t say I will do it. Actually, if you are so sure you should wear braids, then isn’t it better that I don’t? You will look even better in comparison.”

 

Gerrun stood outside the town gate, listening to the music that drifted over from the town centre. Of course, the dwarves would know immediately that she had no interest in the fair and was only there because of them, but that was alright. After all, it was not as if Fíli would come alone. Dís had not even said he would be there. She had only said that she would bring some family. 

When they arrived, Gerrun tried very hard not to blush, nor seem nervous in any way. She curtsied. “Good day, your highnesses.”

“No need for formalities, lass, we aren’t here on a state visit.” Dís winked at her. 

“Oh.” Gerrun smiled nervously and smoothed her skirts. “I am sorry. You just look so ... royal.”

Fíli had been handsome when she first met him, but now he was glorious. He was dressed all in dark blue, which was a nice contrast to his hair, and his garments were embroidered with silver thread that matched the decorative clasps in his beard. 

Dís had chosen a dark green and silver for herself, and her hair and beard were braided in countless tiny braids, some of them braided together and interwoven with green gems. 

There was an older dwarf, whom she didn’t recognize, but who must be of similar status as Dís, as he wore the same colours, and same amount of jewelry in his beard. 

And then there was one who seemed of Fíli’s age, but wore dim brown without any embroidery at all. He didn’t even have a beard!

“Thank you!” Dís beamed with a pride that made Gerrun certain that she had embroidered all the clothes herself. “This is my brother Thorin.”

The king! And he bowed! Or maybe it was a small nod. Even though, Gerrun blushed and curtsied despite herself. 

“Fíli you have already met.” 

Fíli bowed low, one hand on his chest, the other behind his back. “At your service.”

“And that is my youngest, Kíli.”

Kíli bowed in the same way Fíli had. “You are beautiful!”

“Dear family, this is Gerrun.”

Gerrun curtsied again. “It is a pleasure to meet you.”

Fíli cleared his throat. “I, um, would like to give you this. I found it at the wayside and thought you might like it.” He held out a single daisy. 

“Oh!” She took it, careful to not squeeze the blossom, nor touch his fingers. What was the meaning of this? “Thank you”, she managed. “It is very pretty.”

Fíli bowed again. 

“Now, let us go to the fair”, Dís said cheerfully. 

Gerrun held the tiny flower in her hand, looking at it now and then, while trying to keep up with the dwarves. A daisy, the symbol of childhood and innocence. Did Fíli know the meaning? Was it common to give gifts when being introduced? But none of the other had given her something.   
Finally, when she feared she might ruin the delicate flower by holding it in her sweaty hand, she carefully placed it in her braid. 

Kíli, she decided, was a flirt. It was easy enough to see that. They were a dime a dozen, and more than one of them had tried their charms on her. And, more importantly, his attention was proof that Fíli was not really interested in her. His brother would be decent enough to keep out of the way, then. Even men who wouldn’t let girls alone when the girls said so, would back out if another man called dibs. 

No, Fíli just wanted to be friendly. After all, his mother was her best customer. 

“Gerrun, may I take your arm?”, Dís inquired. “I’m afraid I will get lost in the crowd.”

“Oh – of course.” 

Spring Fair was quite enjoyable like this. The crowd parted around the dwarves, and whenever any drunk men dared to get too close, Thorin glowered at them until they hurried away. 

When they came to the dancefloor, Kíli stopped walking. “I’ll dance.”

“Remember to behave yourself!” Dís yelled after him, when he jumped inbetween the dancers. 

Gerrun could no longer contain her curiousity. “Forgive me if I am rude, but ... you said Kíli is your youngest – how old is he, exactly?”

Dís laughed. “Older than you would think. He has been of age for about thirty years, and still behaves like a child. He tries to blend in with men, too – refused to let me braid his hair!”

Somehow, Gerrun got the impression that a certain kind of answer was expected, from the way Dís looked at her. “Really?”, she finally asked. “Why would he do that? He will have trouble getting a comb through his hair in the evening.”

“He thinks the women will like it.”

“I have heard of men liking it when a girl wears her hair open, but that is ... indecent.” She blushed. 

“Interesting”, said Dís. “But for the males, it is not indecent?”

“Oh, no, not at all!”

Thorin shook his head. “Men are a strange people.”

“Everyone has their customs”, Fíli replied gently. “Ours must seem strange to them, too.”

Gerrun did not quite know what to say, so she just smiled shyly. They did not talk for quite a while after that. The dwarves watched the dance, and Gerrun stole glances at Fíli whenever she thought she could get away with it. 

One time, though, he caught her. She blushed, but he just smiled kindly. “Did you embroider your dress yourself?”

“Yes. Those are all birds I have seen in the meadows.”

“They are beautiful. I like what you did with the plumage – it is so lifelike.”

“Thank you.” She smoothed the sleeve, on which a thrush was depicted. The plumage had different structure on the wings and the head. Nothing difficult to achieve, really, if you knew how, but it still made her proud to have her work complimented. “The pattern on your tunic is traditional, I take it?” It was intriguing, seeming to hold some deeper meaning, and she thought it looked like writing. 

“You would have to ask mother, but I do believe those patterns have a long tradition, yes.”

“They do.” Dís replied. “They are passed down from mother to daughter. I am so glad I could make some decent clothes for my family. Even though Kíli won’t wear them.” She sighed. 

So that was the reason why Kíli looked so plain. Not some kind of punishment, just his own stubbornness. 

“They are lovely.”

“Thank you. You may not be able to see it, but I used your grey floss to fasten the silver thread on the fabric.”

Fíli held up his sleeve for her to look at, and she could see it. The grey was exactly the shade that blended in best with the silver. Like vines it went round the silver thread and held it in place.   
Gerrun suddenly realized that Fíli was exactly her size. She didn’t need to bend her neck to look at him, even at such close a distance as now. No, she could look right into his face and his beautiful eyes.   
And look at his beard. It was marvelous, all those tiny decorations. She longed to touch it, but to ask for that would be outrageously rude.

 

It was already getting dark when Dís went to wrestle Kíli out of the arms of a very drunk girl – or the other way round, Gerrun couldn’t see it clearly. 

When it became apparent that Kíli himself was also very drunk, Gerrun decided to spare the family the shame of having him seen like this by a stranger. “My mother will be getting worried, it is already dark. I am afraid I must leave now.”

“And right she is to be worried, with all those drunkards about”, Dís growled. “If you wish so, I shall accompany you to your home.”

Gerrun was torn. One one hand, Dís certainly had better things to do. On the other, she was right, there were many drunk men in the streets, and even though there were fewer people than before, it was still very crowded. “That would be too kind of you.”

“And then walk home alone?”, Thorin asked. “I would be worried, Dís.”

“This is not a battlefield, dear brother.” Dís patted her skirt at the hip. “I am sufficiently armed.”

“Maybe Fíli could come, too?” Gerrun blurted out 

“Good idea”, Thorin said. “Goodbye.”

He left rather quickly, dragging Kíli with him. 

Flanked by two dwarves, Gerrun got home without any of the hassle one usually encountered after Spring Fair, Summer Fair and Harvest Fair. 

There was still light inside.

“It seems your mother was indeed worried. Give her my apologies for keeping you so long”, Dís said. “Goodnight, lass, see you next week.”

“Goodnight, Gerrun”, Fíli said softly. 

She still marveled at how beautiful her name sounded on his lips when she had stepped inside and heard the dwarves walk away. 

With some relief, she noticed that her mother was not, strictly speaking, still up. She was napping in her rocking chair. 

“Mother?”

Her mother blinked. “There you are. You haven’t done something stupid, have you?”

“Of course not. I spent the whole time with Dís and her family. It was safer than Spring Fair usually is. Now go to bed, or you will complain about your back aching tomorrow.”

She herself felt so giddy that it was almost morning when she finally fell asleep.


	4. Chapter 4

“That went rather well, don’t you think?” Fíli said when they had passed the town gates and were on the way home. 

“Aye. I am proud of you. Kíli, though ...” Dís shook her head. “It will take me years to get those strange human ideas out of his head. Not giving a lass two bonny lads to choose from, ‘tis not the dwarven way. He means well, no doubt, but he could at least have made some token effort.”

“He did compliment her looks”, Fíli tried to defend his brother. 

“Aye, but what good is that? A lass knows well enough how pretty she is, she wants to get an eyeful of pretty lad.”

“Kíli says, humans are different. And he is right, you see, she liked the flower.”

 

After some happy days, though, Fíli began to worry. He had met Gerrun quite often, out on the meadows, and they had chatted a bit, and everything was nice ... except that she had not given him a flower. 

Kíli could not help him, it seemed that men rarely talked about that kind of courting gift. 

So, in the end, Fíli found himself knocking at Bard’s door once more. 

This time, the man himself was home. 

“Some busy months, eh?” Bard asked when Fíli followed him inside. “Sigrid told me you visited while I was away.”

“Yes. I am sorry, I should visit more often, but you know how it is, we have to rebuilt Erebor and all that, so I don’t find the time for courtesy visits. This is not one, either.”

“It is not?” Bard frowned. 

“No worries, everything is alright.” Fíli hurried to assure him. “Except for my, er, personal life, that is.”

“And you come to me with your worries, because ...?”

“You have three children, so I suppose you are knowledgeable about such things.”

“That is it?” Bard laughed. “And you don’t want to ask your uncle?”

“No, no, not that kind of thing.” Fíli cleared his throat. “I have been wooing a woman, you see, and she doesn’t seem to like me back, but I thought I’d ask, just in case it is different than with dwarves ...”

“Sit down and tell me everything. Something to drink?”

“Yes, thank you.” 

After he had told Bard everything, the man just ... laughed. 

“That is alright”, he explained. “Men usually don’t expect any courting gifts from a woman. Just keep giving her flowers.”

That didn’t make sense! “How do I know whether she likes me, then?”

“You look at how happy she is to see you, and how much she likes your gift, and so on.”

“That sounds awfully complicated!”

“It isn’t, really. Does she tell you she is busy and has to get going when you talk to her?”

“No ...” Gerrun always seemed to have lots of time. “Sometimes she asks me to walk with her while she is gathering herbs. Is that the same?”

“No, that’s a good sign. See, it is not that complicated. If she doesn’t want your company, she will find some excuse to get rid of you.”

“But that would be lying!”

Bard shrugged. “I don’t know about dwarves, but in my experience, women are a bit delicate, and won’t tell a man outright that they hate him ... if he is not very, very rude.”

Fíli sighed. Why couldn’t humans be more like dwarves? But Gerrun was worth the trouble. “Thank you. But I have been talking about myself too much. How are you?”

 

After that, things went rather smoothly. Fíli gave Gerrun a violet, which she gracefully accepted, and Fíli continued to give her flowers, increasing in size and beauty. Then, one day, he found an orchid, which he thought rather bold, as she had not given him anything, but she was overjoyed, and went home to put it into a vase. 

 

When they met the next time, Gerrun reminded him that he had liked her dress, and produced a handkerchief on which a tiny songbird was embroidered. “For you.”

“Oh.” He took it carefully. “For me? Thank you so very much. It is beautiful!”

She blushed. “It is nothing. “

So, they were now at the stage where you gave presents you had made yourself! 

 

Gerrun didn’t tell her mother that she met Fíli almost every day now. Much as she would have liked to tell someone, it would do no good to upset mother, and, after all, there was nothing to worry about.  
Fíli was always very courteous, never even trying to touch her hand. Though he was undoubtedly wooing her. The daisy she had been able to explain away. But then there was the violet. And the cuckoo flower. The orchid confirmed everything, and a fluttering excitement took permanent residence in Gerrun’s belly. 

His mother knew that he was courting her, so what else could his purpose be but marriage? 

As time went by, Gerrun grew bolder. Sometimes, now, she took Fíli’s hand when they wandered around in the wet meadows, claiming that it would be safer if one of them stumbled into one of the many little creeks that were all over the meadows and not always easily spotted. 

And he would accept, with a bashful smile, and never see it as invitation to touch her some more. At times, this was disappointing, but it made Gerrun even more sure that he intended to propose someday. 

One day, when the summer had grown really hot, he met her at one of her favourite meadows, under a lone birch. 

“I brought some pie”, he said, indicating the basket on his arm. “You are working hard, so I thought, maybe, a break ...”

“This is a perfect spot”, she agreed. 

Fíli handed her the pie, took a blanket out of the basket, and spread it in the shade of the tree. 

The apple pie was truly delicious, so, of course, Gerrun asked who had made it.

“I made it myself”, Fíli replied. “With uncle’s help in selecting the apples, admittedly, but I did all the work.”

“Oh! How kind of you!”

“’s nothing”, he mumbled, but there was a slight hint of pink on his cheeks. 

When they had finished, Gerrun noticed something. “There’s a crumb of pie in your beard. May I ...?”

“Of course.”

She carefully picked the crumb out of his tidily braided beard, but let her fingers linger somewhat longer than necessary. “It is so smooth.”

He beamed with pride. “I use oil and wax, daily. You can touch it whenever you want.”

“Thanks ...” She would be embarrassed that he noticed her fascination, but was much too distracted by how his beard braids felt under her fingers. “It is really beautiful.”

His grin broadened. “Can I tell Kíli that you said that?”

“Sure.” She chuckled. “Is he still convinced women like him better if he’s less well groomed?”

“Yes. Despite all evidence to the contrary.”

“Maybe he would change his opinion if you told him that I kissed you?” Her heart beat faster. This was really bold. What if he rejected her?

“May be ...” Fíli smiled. “Though of course I can’t lie to him.”

“I would never suggest that you should do that.” She leaned in for a kiss. 

Fíli closed his eyes and licked his lips expectantly. 

When their lips met, it was only briefly, as Gerrun had never kissed before and did not quite know how to continue. 

“I am honoured”, Fíli murmured. “And you really don’t mind if I brag? Kíli and I are really close, he won’t tell anyone else, I promise.”

“It is fine.” She would like to tell someone, too, but whom? The other women on the market, who were already teasing her mercilessly about having “half an admirer”, and making all the jokes they could think of over his height, respectively lack thereof?  
Or her mother, who would no doubt suspect he was up to no good?

“Want another one?” Maybe, if she practised some more ...

“Always.”

This time, she lingered long enough so that he could kiss her back, and he did so, as gently as he spoke.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, they eat apple pie in summer. I really have no idea how long you can store apples so ... let's pretend it is already time for apples, or they're imported, or they keep really, really long.


	5. First Time

In the afternoon, Fíli returned to the work his mother had assigned to him in restoring Erebor to the former glory. This time it was removing spider-webs from one of the corridors.  
As always, he worked with double the enthusiasm he might otherwise have, to make up for his being away so often. 

“Nice day, eh?” Kíli asked. 

“You can say that. She kissed me!”

“Congratulations.”

“And she said she likes my beard. Especially the plaits. What do you say to that?”

“Proves nothing. She’s in love with you.” Kíli nudged him. “At this point, you could give her your pebble and she would think it as beautiful as a diamond.”

“Maybe not quite. But she is very open-minded. I’m sure she would like it as much as any flower.” He had not considered that. The pebble was still there, in his pocket, just in case. He could not throw away something he had so carefully selected to give to his love. 

 

When he asked Gerrun about going to the Summer Fair, she told him she didn’t really like the town fairs, and preferred to listen to the music from far away. 

“Right”, he mumbled, because he remembered all too well the embarrassment Kíli had caused last time. “I can play the fiddle, maybe, if you would like ...”

“You would play for me?”

“I would be honoured if you allowed it.” That was good, really good. She had already accepted the pie, and if she liked his music, then he had proven he could make her life more enjoyable. Some women didn’t want more than that from a husband, though of course it would be preferable to be able to show that he was good with children, too. 

“Honoured?” She laughed. “I would be honoured to listen to you.”

“Just name the day and time, and I will be there.”

 

His hands were trembling when he arrived at the spot where they usually met, under the birch. 

Gerrun had already spread a blanket there, and was smiling at him. “This is really kind of you. It love music so, but wherever I get to hear some, it is also crowded.”

“You could come visit us”, he offered. “Twenty dwarves are a bit of a crowd, too, I admit, but I would make sure everyone is on their best behaviour. And uncle Thorin is a really good harpist.” 

“Someday, maybe.” She smiled. “For now, I prefer to be alone with you.”

He couldn’t have been happier, but the implications of what she had said made him even more nervous, so that it took him some time to get the fiddle out of its case and adjust the strings. 

When he started playing, his nervousness vanished. The dreamy smile on Gerrun’s face was all he needed to lose himself in the music. 

“That was beautiful”, she said when he had ended. “I never heard anything as lovely.” And then, suddenly, her head was resting at his shoulder. 

He carefully placed the fiddle in its case, and settled into his new position. If he was to be her pillow, he would make sure to be a good one. 

Gerrun basked in the midday sun, but somehow she moved in a way so that Fíli soon was not only her pillow anymore, but her mattress. 

Not that he complained. She was lovely with her content, sleepy face, and the honey-coloured braid curling around her neck. 

“Fíli, have you ever slept with a woman?”

He knew what the euphemism meant; humans were a bit too bashful about that. “Well, not exactly ...” It was expected among dwarves, with so few women, but Kíli had told him it was different with humans. “Actually, no.”

“Want to?” She sat up in his lap and grinned mischievously. 

“Oh.” He felt something stir in his body. “Oh yes. Very much.” He didn’t know the first thing about making love, but she would teach him, and he would do his best to learn. 

When she proceeded to remove his shirt, he was really, really glad that he had bathed, and scrubbed every inch of his body with soapy water prior to their meeting. 

His body shivered under the touch of her fingers. When she explored the hair-line on his stomach, he lifted his hips instinctively, and Gerrun took that as a sign to open his trousers. 

Fíli sighed in relief when he felt the summer air on his intimate parts. 

“Oh ...” Gerrun chuckled. “I forgot your shoes.”

“Don’t touch them. They’re dirty.” He hastened to kick off his boots, and after a while of struggling, succeeded. 

Gerrun watched him, still chuckling. He must look at bit ridiculous, with his trousers at his knees. 

“Like what you see?”, he said while struggling to get out of the trousers. 

“A lot.” 

He liked her smirk. He also liked the glint in her eyes. It spoke of things to come, pleasant things. 

Then, suddenly, she was straddling him, her skirts hitched up to her legs. Naked flesh on naked flesh. 

Fíli gasped in surprise when he realized what her intention was. “You sure you want ...?”

“Very.”

The next few moments were pure bliss. She thought him worthy to father her children! His heart sang, as did other parts of his body. 

It was over all too soon, and she started to clean herself with a handkerchief before he could even offer his tongue. 

“You mustn’t brag about that”, Gerrun said when she had finished cleaning herself, and smoothed her skirt. “People would talk.”

He nodded, still unable to say something. Nothing could convey his feelings appropriately, anyway. 

“That is the best day in my life”, he finally managed. 

She smiled. “It need not stay the best.”

He chuckled. “It will remain the best one. Forever.” Nothing could be superior to the realisation that she deemed him worthy to father her children. Nothing. It was the greatest honour that could be bestowed on a dwarf. 

“Oh. Alright, then.” 

Something had soured her mood, but when he asked whether there was something wrong, she said there wasn’t, she just needed to get back to work. 

“I suppose you will want to take your fiddle back home. Wouldn’t want it to get damp.”

“Very thoughtful of you, thanks. Have a very nice day!”

On his way home, he was deep in thought. He could not get rid of the feeling that Gerrun was angry with him for some reason. But why? It couldn’t be because of his poor performance, she had been cheerful and happy until their debate about whether it was the best day in his life, or not. 

It was not like her to be angry because of some slight disagreement. She even had agreed with him ... maybe he had been to firm in his conviction?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Um yes. That's the best I could come up with for "not discussing things beforehand", because Gerrun is a bit shy and wouldn't have prior experiences with men, in a time where she would have been shamed for that. (You see, she is really, really sure Fíli intends to marry her.)
> 
> And Fíli is wearing trousers because it is the easiest, and I am not actually sure what would be appropriate for the time period, even though I suspect the tunic-with-stockings look might be in fashion. 
> 
> Also, no one wears underpants because I am reasonably sure those are a relatively modern invention. And also because it is much easier to pee in the wilderness if you just have to lift skirts.


	6. Decision

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (Trigger Warning Abortion)

Gerrun continued her round for the day, but her heart was not in it. When she returned home, she tried to appear normal, but her mother still noticed something. 

“What is the matter with you? You are so silent.”

 

“Nothing. Or ... I am a bit unwell. Nothing serious.”

“Go to bed. We cannot afford that you get ill. One day in bed is better than ten.”

Gerrun spent the next day in bed, and the one after that she walked around the lake. There was nothing to be gathered there that she needed at the moment, but it was better than meeting Fíli, and she could afford another day off. 

She spotted some pennyroyal growing at the shore, and gathered half a basketfull of it. Just in case. 

Fíli never came to the house to inquire after her. Of course not. It had only been a summer dalliance for him. Nothing serious. Never serious enough for marriage. She had been silly to think that he would propose after she slept with him. 

She should have waited. Maybe he would have changed his mind over time, if she had proven chaste and virtuous. But with her lust and impatience, she had ruined everything. Mother had been right. A prince could never marry a commoner. She had been stupid to believe that. 

Every now and then, there was an inkling of doubt. Maybe he had just not understood what she meant when she had hinted that their marriage could become the best day of his life?

But she had been really obvious. And he had asked, had he not, whether she was sure she wanted it. She should have known then, that he never intended to marry her. He was a decent man, of course, he would never have initiated this, knowing that he would end their relationship soon. And she, stupidly, had thought he was just being . 

It hurt so much, to know, that despite all his gentleness and the pretty flowers he had given her, she was not important enough to him to marry her. 

Day after day passed, and Gerrun returned to her usual haunts, but did not see Fíli again, except sometimes, from afar. He never came closer. 

When she met Dís on the market, their talk was only about flosses and embroidery, and nothing else. 

Seven days after her last meeting with Fíli, Gerrun grew worried. Two weeks afterwards, she bought parsley on the market, and took the dried pennyroyal out from under the roof. 

She placed them on her bed and stared at them, thinking. It was not an easy decision. Fíli’s child would be beautiful, no doubt. And a reminder of the happy summer they had had together ... but that was also what would break her heart.  
And then there was the fact that people would talk. Her golden-haired child would ask who the father was, and what could Gerrun say, then?  
All the hassle it would cause, and for Fíli, too! Her beautiful, beloved child would be called a bastard, and mocked and tormented by all the youths in town, while the adults would talk behind her back.  
Fíli would be known to have fathered a child out of wedlock, and while that was not so bad for a man, it might still damage the reputation of a prince some. 

Then, of course, there was the fact that she could make a living for two, but for three, it would be difficult.  
No, she must be reasonable and get it over with as quickly as possible. This summer would be a nice memory with a bitter ending, and nothing more.  
Her reputation would be damaged, but not beyond repair. Fíli would not brag about having bedded her, of that she felt certain. 

Gerrun waited until her mother was away to see the healer about her bad back, and then set to work. Usually she would have used only parsley for the first attempt, but she felt like punishing herself. If she died from using pennyroyal, well, then, served her right for being so stupid!  
But she knew which dose to use, so she would likely only be very, very sick.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I shouldn't need to mention this but: Do not try this at home. The information about herbs used for abortion that I found on the internet was not very consistent, and according to some pages, parsley has no effect at all, while pennyroyal is safe ... others say pennyroyal is dangerous ... and so on. What I do know is that many herbs used for abortion are poisonous, and that an ectopic pregnancy can't be ended safely that way.  
> What I have here is good enough for fiction (and I used the most well-known plants I found), but by no means a recipe. 
> 
> And I really hate that I have to mention this because just going to the hospital is not an option everywhere. :(


	7. Proposing Marriage

Fíli was devastated when he didn’t meet Gerrun at the usual spot. He tried once more, but apparently she was still angry with him. 

Embarrassing as it was, he saw no other option than to tell everything to his mother, ommitting the details, but still being open about what honour had been bestowed on him. “What have I done wrong?”

“I have no idea, dear.” She put a hand on his shoulder. “She could hardly have expected you to express your happiness about being allowed to raise her children when she didn’t talk about that. Give her some time. She will remember everything she likes about you, and maybe return.”  
Every day Gerrun didn’t come to their meeting spot was torment, and finally, he could bear it no longer and did the only thing he could think of at that point. 

He baked some meatpies, delicious, filling pies, put them in a basket, and set out to visit Sigrid once again. 

His heart grew heavy when he remembered his other visits. After getting such good advice, he had paid more than one courtesy visit, to thank Sigrid and Bard for their help, and receive their congratulations. 

And now, everything was shattered to pieces. 

This time, only the children were home. 

“This is payment”, he said, offering the pies. “I need advice, and lots of it.”

“Sit down”, Sigrid said sternly, and would not hear a word before he had drunk some of the strongest booze Bard kept in his home. 

Sigrid sent her siblings upstairs and sat down at the kitchen table. “Now, tell me everything.”

Somewhen between his visits, he thought, she must have grown up into a woman, a promising woman who could well mature to be as strongwilled as Dís. Bard must be so proud. 

“I must swear you to secrecy”, he said. “Because my life is forfeit if this ever becomes common knowledge.”

“You committed a crime?”

“I am about to commit the worst crime I ever have.” He swallowed hard. “I promised to keep silent about it, but I need your help. So ... you know of my love.”

“Yes?”

“I have ... I ... she slept with me.”

Sigrid nodded. “And?”

“I must have done something wrong after that, because she was in a hurry to get rid of me, and wouldn’t meet me two days after. She still doesn’t come to our meeting place.”

He wiped his eyes with his sleeve. “Is there something I don’t know? What does a human woman mean when she says one day need not stay the best day of my life? It seemed to be important to her ...”

Sigrid shook her head. “You have been courting her for the whole spring and most of the summer. Did it never occur to you to propose to her?”

“Propose what?”

“Why, marriage, of course!”

“What? You must be joking! Me, propose marriage?”

“What?” Sigrid frowned. “You don’t want to marry her then? I mean, I know she is a commoner, but ...”

“Want to? Of course I want to! What has that to do with anything?”

“But if you want to, why don’t you propose?”

“Because that would be rude! How could I go to her and tell her to her face that I deem myself worthy of raising her children? She would break my nose, and rightly so!”

Sigrid blinked. “Well, that’s how human men do it. Just ask. It is not as if she has to accept.”

“That”, Fíli said indignated “Goes without saying, but still!”

“You slept with her. If she has a child out of wedlock, she will be ruined.”

“She won’t. She is well capable of raising a child on her own.”

“Socially, I mean.”

That did not make any sense, but there were more important things to focus on. “So ... you think she expected me to propose marriage?”

“Yes.” Sigrid nodded. “The day of her wedding is considered the happiest day in a woman’s life, so ...”

“Oh.” That fit. It could really .... “Are you sure? I mean ... it is rude! Who am I to tell her that I am worthy of her?”

“That is how it is done. Trust me on that.”

“Your father did that with your mother?” Bard seemed so humble and sensible, he could not imagine that the man would do something that rude. 

“Technically, she told him to hurry up and propose, but, yes, he did.”

Fíli sighed. So there was no proof that that was considered acceptable among humans. 

“Trust me. Most girls I know would never say a word about marriage. It is expected that the man mentions it first.”

“Fine. But I will blame you if she thinks me rude. And it is only because I trust you so much that I even consider this.”

Sigrid grinned. “Thank you. Now, go straight to her house and propose.”

“Go to her house? When I am not invited and she is angry at me?”

“Yes! You paid well for my advice, so if you value your pies, you should do what I say, otherwise you will have wasted them.”

He sighed exasperatedly. “Yes. Thank you.”

Of course he remembered the way, Spring Fair had, after all, been one of the happiest days in his life. 

When he stood before the door, the only thing that kept him from fleeing was the sternness in Sigrid’s voice. She had been so sure this was the right thing to do ....

He knocked. 

The door was opened almost immediately. 

He was shocked at how bad Gerrun looked. Her hair was a mess, there were deep shadows under her eyes, and a deep sadness in them. 

“Gerrun ... I ... I am terribly sorry!”, he sputtered. “I talked to some people, and they said I should propose marriage, and I ... well, I do. Propose marriage, I mean.”

“There is no need for that” she replied coldly. 

“Of course not. I just ... just wanted to ...” Had Sigrid been wrong, after all?

“Let me guess, those people suspect that I am with child? I might be, incidentally, but I can take care of that myself.” She gestured towards a clay cup on the table. “I was just about to do so.”

Now, Fíli was completely confused. “What? What has a drink to do with anything?”

“I am with child, but I soon will not be anymore. I know which herbs to use. My reputation is safe, and you can go marry some dwarven princess.”

“What? You mean ... this will ...” He gulped. “Kill the child?”

“It is not a child at that stage, just some lump of flesh. I will just get ... rid of it.”

Fíli stared at her blankly. Pain filled every fibre of his being. 

He sank to his knees. “No! Please! Don’t do that! I know I am not worthy, but ... please!” What had he done to offend her so gravely that she had decided to withdraw the honour she had granted him? 

“Not worthy? What are you talking about?”

“You ... you ...” He swallowed his tears. “Not so long ago, you thought me worthy of fathering your children. And now, you decided that ... that ...” He could not say it. “Please, reconsider it”, he whispered. “Let me prove my worth. Not so long ago, you wished for a child, and ...” He wiped his tears away to see clearly again. “Maybe it is easier to get pregnant for human women, but still, this may be your only chance for a child ... am I really that worthless?”

“You are not worthless”, she said softly. “Not at all. I love you and wish you happiness. Though I will not marry a man who does not love me, and I will not bear a child out of wedlock.”

“You love me?”

“As you well know.”

“No, I don’t! If you love me, why ... what did I do wrong? What? I just disagreed with you on some tiny thing!”

“You made it clear that you didn’t intend to marry me.”

“Intend? How could I intend to marry you? I sure hoped you would choose me, but I never would be so conceited to intend ...” He frowned. “You really expected me to be rude enough to tell you that I deem myself worthy to be your husband?”

“Rude?” She placed a hand on his shoulder. 

“Yes, rude. It is not a male’s place to decide ... Sigrid told me that men do it like that, but .. it makes no sense!”

“Stand up.”

He did as she told him, and was pleasantly surprised when she hugged him and pressed her cheek on his. 

“So ... you wish to marry me?”, she asked in a husky voice. 

“Of course. Have been hoping you would choose me since spring.”

“Oh Fíli! I have been so foolish!”

“Never! You are the most sensible person I know.”

“I never ever asked about your customs, and whether they are different from ours ... ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So ... my view on dwarves and their opinion on abortion is basically that, of course, a woman can do with her body whatever she wants, but the idea of such a thing as an unwanted pregnancy is alien to them, so abortion is basically this very sad thing that needs to be done if a pregnancy endangers the woman's life.


	8. Meeting the Family

“Gerrun!”

Fíli looked up and saw a fierce old woman. Gerrun’s mother, likely. She must have come in through the back door. 

“What is in this cup?”

“Don’t drink it!” Gerrun cried and hastily added: “It’s herbal tea, you won’t like it.”

“Herbal tea indeed! Do you think I don’t recognize pennyroyal when I see it?” She seized the cup. “You will not drink that. Though I have a mind to force it down the throat of the young man who caused all the trouble.”

“No!”

Gerrun’s embrace tightened. “He is innocent! Don’t do that! You can just pour it away, I don’t need it.”

“I would have poured it away anyway. Really, Gerrun, haven’t I taught you better? You never use pennyroyal on the first attempt, and you only ever use it if the life of the mother is in danger. It is poison! You could have just used parsley!”

“Yes mother. I am sorry, mother.”

“Well, well. And what about you, young man? I don’t care who your father is, if you don’t marry my daughter, I will skin you alive.”

 

“Aye.” Fíli grinned. “Do that.”

“Maybe now is not a good time to visit your family ...” Gerrun started. 

“Oh! It is a very good time, indeed. If you want to declare intention to marry me that soon, that is.”

“I should get it over with before mother gets more upset.”

“Oh yes, you should!” the old woman yelled. 

 

Gerrun felt a bit weak in her knees. All the crying had exhausted her. To think that she had been so silly!

“So ... male dwarves never propose marriage?” She asked when they had stumbled out of the house and were steering towards the town gates. 

“Never.” Fíli cleared his throat. “I don’t get why men would do it ... is it so the woman knows what her options are right away, and can choose? But that’s what courting is for. Maybe it is nice to be sure that a suitor wants to marry, though after some weeks of courting, there can’t be much doubt about that ... is it because there are so many women?

“Many?”

“Well, you see, for every female dwarf, there are three males for her to choose from, on average. It seems awfully inconvenient that this is not the case with men; is that what goes to the male’s heads?”

“There are three males per dwarf woman? Born?”

“Yes. You see, males cannot be choosy. Of course some are, me for example, I wasn’t even sure I would want to marry you when I decided to court you. Wanted to make sure you are as loveable as you seem. Which, of course, you are.”

“So, most dwarves would marry a woman on the spot if she proposed it?”

“Why, of course! There’s no greater honour than that. Well, apart from being deemed worthy to father children, but one usually comes after the other.”

“Usually?”

“Sometimes, a male dwarf is kind and nurturing, but not handsome, or maybe he is handsome but good for nothing. Only the most handsome get to father children, and the most reliable get to raise them. There are exceptions, as you can make up for not being handsome with other skills, but a woman will see to it that she doesn’t waste her pregnancies on someone unworthy.”

“Oh! So, you thought I ... I considered you unworthy to raise my children?”

He nodded. “I was pretty surprised when you ...” He cleared his throat, and waited until they had passed the guards at the gate. “Well, I would have expected that you decide about marriage before that. But as everything went so well up to that point, I of course hoped that you would just, sort of, tell me I was to raise your child, too.”

“Well, I do now.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Didn’t I say so?”  
“Still can’t believe it”, he mumbled. “But there is ... there is something I have to confess ...”

Gerrun froze. “What is it?”

“You told me not to brag, but I ... I told it to my mother. And to Sigrid. I’m sorry! I didn’t know what to do!”

“Oh.” She laughed. “Sigrid ... that would be ....?”

“Bard’s daughter. Bard, you know, the guy who helped us get into Laketown. Sigrid was the one who told us they had an arrow for exactly our purposes. I, um, asked her for advice on courting you.”

“Oh! How sweet! I don’t mind.”

“You see, dwarves, we usually give stones.” He rummaged in his pocket. “There. I intended to give you that.”

There was a perfect little stone on his palm, of an unusual shade of green. 

She picked it up. “It is beautiful. May I ... keep it?”

“Of course! It is for you. Always was. Just then, Kíli told me human women don’t like stones.”

“I do.” She slipped the stone into the smallest pocket on her apron. 

“He told me to give you diamonds.” Fíli snorted. 

“Diamonds! Why, that would be ridiculous.” She would certainly have been sure he intended her to be his mistress, his kept woman, if he had given her diamonds. 

“See, I thought that, too. Diamonds for a first courting gift! So I went to Sigrid, and she told me about flowers.”

“Much better advice.” And yet ... “It would have been easier, in a way, if you had given me that pebble, first.”

“Would it? Why?”

“Then I would have asked what you meant by it, and maybe I wouldn’t have been so foolish to assume dwarven customs were just the same as men’s.”

“You aren’t foolish! Never have been. I was the foolish one. I should have asked Sigrid more questions.”

“Maybe we were both foolish.”

 

A dwarf whom Gerrun hadn’t met yet stood guard at the door. “Oh.” His eyes went wide when he saw them.   
“This is Ori.”

Ori bowed. “At your service.” He hurried to open the door. “Dís is embroidering runes, and not to be disturbed. I’m sorry.”

“I can wait”, Gerrun replied. Ori seemed very young, and very, very nervous. Maybe because he was talking to a prince?

He bowed a second time, and resumed his post at the door. 

“How long does your mother usually take?”

“It varies. If we are lucky, it is time for lunch break.”

Fíli led her into a small room that was decorated with all sorts of wall hangings and other embroidered items. 

“This is where mother keeps the things in need of repair.”

Looking closer at them, Gerrun noticed that some of the beautiful wall hangings were damaged; there were holes burnt into them. “Oh. The dragon.”

“Yes. Very annoying. I asked whether I could help with repairing them, but she says I am too impatient and would make a mess of it. The only one who is allowed to assist her is Ori.”

“Oh. So ... dwarf males do embroidery?”

“Only decorative”, Fíli hurried to assure her. “Not runes. I don’t know about men, but the secrets kept in mother’s head would made a male dwarf’s brain explode.” He hesitated. “Or so she tells me. Either way, I am sure she could make sure my head explode by more, um, mundane means if I were to spy on her.”

Gerrun chuckled. “I believe that. So ... the ones on our garments ... those are runes?”

“Yes. For protection, mostly, though I suspect she also worked runes for beauty into my tunic for Spring Fair.”

“You did look very handsome in it. But not much moreso than at other times.”

He grinned. “Well, runes work in subtle ways.”

“Kíli had no runes on his tunic ... I hope it is not rude to ask why?”

Fíli snorted. “No, no, it is just rude of him – he says they look old-fashioned, and will only accept them on his undergarments. He really spent too much time with men.” After a short pause, he added: “Sorry – I didn’t meant to imply ...”

“It is alright. I know what you mean. He shouldn’t disrespect his mother in order to fit in with others.”

“Yes, exactly. No proper dwarf would ever tell his mother that he doesn’t like her embroidery. Of course it hasn’t been easy for him, spending his childhood in exile. ”

“You can’t be much older than him.”

“I am not, but, you see, I was always there first. So, when he yearned for new adventures, things I had not already done before him, he sought the company of men. At least that is what I think.”

The door of the adjoining room opened. Dís emerged, in leather working attire, her hair and beard in one braid. “Gerrun! What a pleasure! Good news, I hope?”

“Good news”, Fíli confirmed. 

“I did not ask you, laddie. Off you go, fetch us some tea. We will be in my bedroom.”

Gerrun stood up, not quite sure what to do with herself. Dís opened another door and gestured for her to come closer. “No offense meant, lass, but you look terrible.”

“I am sorry.” The other room was even more cosy, it had a little bed carved out of stone in one of the walls, and most of the furniture was stone, too. It didn’t look cold, there were lots of carpets and wall hangings. 

“Nonsense! Now, come in, sit down here, and I will fetch you a comb – no worries, I always clean them thouroughly. Do you want to take care of your hair yourself, or would you allow me to comb it?”

“Oh! That is very kind of you. I mean, yes, I would allow you to ...”

Dís set to work promptly, de-tangling Gerrun’s braid and combing the hair. “So what was it that Fíli did wrong? I need to know so I can scold him later.”

“Nothing! It was just a sort of ... a cultural misunderstanding.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. You see, I expected him to propose to me ...”

“Propose what?”

“Marriage.”

“Marriage! Ach lass, then that is my fault. I brought him up to be humble and polite, and of course he would never even hint that he thinks himself worthy ...” She stopped combing and detangled a know in Gerrun’s hair with her fingers. 

“He told me so, yes. I was foolish, to assume ...”

“Nah. I will hear nothing of that. It is me who is at fault. Should have known this would cause problems sooner or later. I saw to it that my lads were taught about those human customs that concern them, but courting was not something I considered to be important, and that was foolish.”

“So you ... you don’t mind that he wants to marry me?”

“Mind? Lass, you know nothing! For a mother to mind that her son found a wife, that wife would have to be a criminal. A murderer, at the very least, a thief would be acceptable, still.”

“No, really?!”

“Why, of course. Daughters are very rare. It doesn’t seem to be the case with your people, but for us dwarves, we can count ourselves lucky if our sons find any wife at all. And such a fine one as you! Why would I mind?”

“Well, I am a commoner, and you are royalty, even though you are so humble, and of course, I am human, and ...”

“Admittedly, I am a bit worried about him not getting to father any children, you know, because of the differences between our peoples, but that is a minor concern. And don’t you worry about us being royalty, that is just politics. Of course we will act all haughty if Thranduil ever dares to visit.” She chuckled. “Och yes, so very haughty. But you, my dear friend, need not worry about that at all.”

There was a soft knock at the door. “Come in!”

Fíli opened the door and carried a tray with two teacups inside. “Is everything well?”

“Very well. If I understand Gerrun alright, she intends to marry you. So, of course, she will have to look presentable when she makes the announcment.”

“Me?”

“Who else? Here, have a cup of tea.” Dís started to part her hair into smaller sections. “Do you want your usual simple braid, or something more fancy?”

“Simple, please.” Gerrun took the cup Fíli offered her. “So, how does this go? I know nothing of your customs, I will horribly embarrass myself.”

“No worries, dear. No one expects you to do it in the traditional way. How do your people announce engagements?” Dís took the cup of tea Fíli offered her and too a hearty gulp before placing it on the tray again. 

“We just, sort of ... tell people. I would be able to do that, but are you sure it is ... appropriate? It is usually the parents who ...”

“You are the one who makes the decision, so you are the one who tells everyone. I don’t want to make you uncomfortable, but if anyone else proclaimed it, there would be doubts to the truth of it.”

“I suppose I will be able to ... but how do I look presentable? Which dress would be appropriate?”

“That doesn’t matter”, Dís replied. “The problem is that you look unhappy. People will think Fíli made you cry. That is unfortunate.”

“I did make her cry, mother.” 

“Well, yes, but she told me it was just a cultural misunderstanding, aye?”

“It was. Still, they have a right to know.”

Dís sighed. “Do you want to look as if you have been crying, lass?”

“No!”

“See, there you have it. Go fetch me a bucket of ice water and a silver spoon.”

Fíli placed the tray with tea on a small stone table next to the door, and hurried to do his mother’s bidding.


	9. Traditions

Fíli’s excitement was only tempered by the fact that Gerrun was trembling. “Are you well?”

“Yes. Just ... nervous.”

“They are all very nice, and if they get angry, then at me.”

Gerrun nodded bravely. 

“So, ready?”

“Ready.”

When they entered the big hall, Fíli felt a surge of pride. All dwarves stood in a big circle, ready to group around Gerrun and protect her if there was any sign that he had tried to blackmail her into this. 

Hopefully, that wouldn’t happen. She would be so embarrassed. 

Still, it made him proud to see all those brave warriors in their best attire. They would witness that this wonderful woman wanted to marry him, and no one would doubt their word. 

He stepped back, so that the others could circle around her. She trembled. 

“Um.” Fíli cleared his throat. It was not customary for the male to say something, but Gerrun was clearly uncomfortable. “Gerrun wants to tell you something.”

They glared at him. Uncle Thorin glowered. 

“Don’t look at Fíli like that!” Gerrun snapped. “I am going to marry him, and I won’t have my future husband treated like that!”

After a brief silence, everyone clapped their hands and cheered. Fíli grinned broadly as he received the congratulations of each and every dwarf in Erebor. 

Gerrun seemed a bit lost, but to his relief, Dís soon went to her and patted her hand. 

Finally, everyone had shaken Fíli`s hand, and he walked towards the two. “Gerrun? Is everything alright?”

“Your mother says it was alright, but ... I embarrassed you in front of everyone! I’m sorry.”

“What? Are you joking? Even Balin said he never heard a better engagement proclamation. Clear and concise, he said.”

“But I ... I just got angry and ...”

“You said that I am yours, and that you intend to protect me, and demonstrated that you won’t let them mess with you. Very fine words.” He was hers. What a beautiful thought! 

“Aye. The traditional words are a bit more, well, wordy, but that is just embellishment. You got the meaning across.”

When Gerrun smiled, it was as if the sun had risen inside the mountain. A small sun, with just the right amount of light, that was. 

 

Gerrun was still confused. “Why is everyone armed?”, she whispered. 

“’Tis traditional”, Dís explained, patting the battleaxe at her hip. “You see, in the dark years at the beginning of time, there were ... that is a disgrace to our people, but there were males who would try to get a woman do declare engagement by threatening her. Therefore, a woman is now surrounded by a circle of warriors on declaring engagement.”

“But ... but if they are relatives of the husband ...”

“Aye, that part is not traditional. We are more civilised now, and there is no real need for protection anymore, so everyone gets to take part. Of course, grandmother would have insisted that we fetch some warriors of equal rank and ability who have no ties to the family, neither by blood nor oath ...” She chuckled. “We could have ended up having to ask Thranduil and his kin to take part, to make it a traditional dwarven engagement proclamation.”

“The great elven king?” She had only heard rumours of him from the merchants who traded with the elves. “That would have been awkward. If he heard that I’m just a commoner ...”

“Aye. I wouldn’t have done that to you. Though I would have liked to see his face. Heh. Bet he would just have no expression at all. That’s the creepy thing about elves, they don’t seem to have facial expressions.” Dís lowered her voice. “I suspect they do it on purpose.”

There was a short, spontaneous celebration, with lots of music, but no annoying drunk people, and Dís made sure everyone kept a respectful distance. 

“Getting dark outside”, Dís finally said. “Better to take you home now.”

“I suppose. Um. Could you tell mother that I am engaged now? Because she threatened to skin Fíli alive if he doesn’t marry me.”

Dís laughed. “I would like to meet her.” 

Because everyone was so nice, and she felt so safe, Gerrun kissed Fíli goodbye before leaving the mountain.   
And really, the laughter she would have expected among men didn’t happen. 

“Dwarves are very ... restrained, I get the impression”, she said when Dís and she walked through the ruins of the old town. 

“Really? In which way?”

“Well, if Fíli hadn’t given me all those flowers, I wouldn’t have noticed that he ... likes me.”

Dís chuckled. “That is the purpose of courting gifts.” 

“Yes, but ... I mean, he never touched me in the first few weeks.”

“Did you invite him to do so?”

“Not ... not in words, I think ...”

“Then why would he touch you? He’s a well-behaved laddie, my Fíli is.”

“He is. It is just not what I am used to. I mean ... a human man would have tried to kiss me,if he was as interested ...” 

“Try to kiss you?” Dís exclaimed. “How that? Don’t men know how to kiss?”

“I mean, I could turn my head so he only gets to kiss my cheek if I didn’t want him to ...”

“Oh dear! I had no idea! I mean, of course I respect your culture, but ...”

“Please don’t tell Fíli that I told you – I like him the way he is.” It had taken some getting used to, but now she quite liked it that she never had to worry about him going too far. She had heard other girls gossip about their admirers, and having to always be vigilant in order to stop the young man from slipping his hands up your skirt ... it sounded rather a hassle. 

 

Mother was sitting outside on the bench when they arrived. 

“Lady Dís.” She nodded, but didn’t stand up. “I take it your son has done the honourable thing, then?”

“My son”, Dís folded her arms. “Always does the honourable thing. Especially if you are talking about Fíli. His manners, I will have you know, are superior to those of the sons of men.”

“Is that so?” Mother frowned. 

“That is so, obviously. I ask your consent to your daughter’s marriage to my son Fíli.”

“You have it.”

“Well.” Dís turned to face Gerrun. “See you tomorrow at the market”, she said in a much friendlier voice. 

“When is the wedding to take place?” Mother asked. 

“What do you say, lass?”

“Um. I don’t know. Summer would be nice.”

“Next summer? Aye.”

“Nonsense! Next month at the latest!”

“Mother, that is really not ...”

“It is, and you know why.”

Dís shrugged. “We could have a much greater celebration next year, but I know you don’t like crowds, lass. Next month is fine.” She smiled at Gerrun’s mother. “When would it suit you to discuss the details of the wedding?”

“Tomorrow afternoon.”

“Aye. Goodnight, then.”

Only after Dís was out of hearing distance, Gerrun cried “Mother! How could you be so rude! She’s to be my mother in law!”

“If she had told me earlier that she intends to become that, I would have been more polite. And you – you have lied to me.“

“Not really ...” Gerrun stared at her feet. “Well, maybe I didn’t tell you everything. But you would only have been worried.”

“With good reason.”

“No! It was just a misunderstanding. He always intended to marry me.”

“So. Did he. What was the pennyroyal for, then?”

“I just ... I was ... I expected him to propose. And he didn’t.”

“Doesn’t sound like much of a misunderstanding to me.”

“He expected me to propose to him!”

After a brief silence, her mother laughed out loud. “You say! Really?”

“Yes. Dwarves consider it rude for males to propose.”

“Seems I owe some apologies, then.” She lit her pipe. “Now, get yourself ready for bed, tomorrow is market day.


	10. Chapter 10

The wedding was held at the birch where Fíli and Gerrun had met so often. 

There weren’t many guests. Just Fíli’s family, and Gerrun’s mother, and Sigrid with her father and siblings, a guest of honour. 

Of course, there had been the formalities to take care of. Gerrun shuddered when she remembered the looks and the talk. But that was over now, they were officially married in Laketown. Now, there would only be this nice, cosy ceremony for herself and Fíli, and then, the dwarves would celebrate in their mountain home.

Fíli was splendid in his robe. This time, his hair and beard were decorated with flowers, to fit in with the flowercrowns they both were wearing. 

Gerrun wore her best dress, the one with the songbirds. 

Their vows were short, a mix of traditions, and they were just lovely. Fíli promised some of the usual things, and that he would keep her happy and bring her joy, and be the best husband he could be. 

The ring he put on her finger was of gold, and held the pebble that had been intended as first courting present. Dwarves, he had explained, didn’t usually do the wedding ring thing, but he had been happy to oblige when her mother had insisted. 

 

At the feast in Erebor, Gerrun ate a bit, listened to the lovely music for some time, and then asked Fíli whether it was proper to leave now. 

“Whenever you want, beloved”, he replied, and got up to lead her to his chambers. Soon, no sound was to be heard other than their footsteps on the stone floor. 

Fíli opened a door, and the first thing Gerrun noticed was the bed. It was big. Really, really big. 

“Great, eh? One of the perks of married life.”

“Your mother’s bed is not even half as big.”

“That is different. Women’s beds are just for sleeping, and that is easier with stone all around you. Pleasuring a wife, though ... that needs room.”

“Does it?”

“It depends, of course. What do you want to do?”

He smiled at her, all expectantly, and she had no idea what he meant. “We sort of ... did it already, didn’t we?”  
She blushed when she remembered how bold she had been. There was something about Fíli that made her forget her usual shyness. 

“You want to do that again?”

“What else would we do in our wedding night?”

“Lots of things? Wait, Gloin gave me some drawings, I must have them somewhere here ... he’s married, you see?” Fíli walked to a drawer and rummaged through the contains. “There it is. Usually you would be the one teaching me, but mother suspected humans might be a bit ignorant of the matter – no offense! – and asked the married males to talk to me. Let’s see ... what do you think of this one?”

He handed her a drawing with two crudely drawn people on it – dwarves, judging from the beards on both of them and ... 

“Why would you put your head there?”

“Well ...” He rubbed his neck. “I suppose my beard might be a bit scratchy and get in the way, but I can shave it off ... not all of it, of course, you have to have some ..”

Somehow, that made her feel all hot down there. “I mean, for what purpose?”

“So you don’t think it would feel good? Hm. Maybe another one ... what about this?” 

This drawing had two people who had their hands on each other’s ... private parts.

“Are you sure this is ... decent?” Her blush must be spreading over her whole face now. 

“Not sure ... as I said, usually you would be teaching me, so this is a sort of a grey area, I suppose. Are you offended? I’m terribly sorry!”

“No, I’m not ... I just ... it is ...” Why exactly, would it be indecent? They were married, after all. Once again, she felt the adventurous side of herself take control. “Can we try that one?” She pointed at the second picture he had shown her. 

He grinned. “Of course. I suppose you would have me naked?”

“Um, yes?”

This time he took off his shoes first. And then ... she would have sworn he did it on purpose. Ever so slowly he stripped off his tunic, and then the trousers followed, until he stood there only in a white loincloth. The blonde hair on his body shimmered golden in the firelight. 

Only then did she realize that she was still fully dressed. First she kicked off her shoes. Then she took off her dress, and put it on a nearby chair. The shirt and underskirt followed. 

“You are beautiful”, Fíli said in a husky voice.

“So you don’t mind the lack of beard?” She had gotten quite used to Dís’ beard, and it did look nice – just more hair to braid and decorate. 

“Never. Didn’t even notice it when we first met.” He smiled at her, turned, and walked to the bed, his backside moving in a way that made her body tingle. “Come?”

Her knees felt a bit wobbly when she sat down next to him. “So, now, how exactly is this supposed to work?”

“Not sure. Talking about this was a bit embarrassing for everyone involved. Just put my hand where you want it?” He offered his big, calloused hand.

She took his hand and put it between her legs, where here body was by now yearning for his touch. 

“Mhm. Like this?”

Her legs clenched of their own accord. “Yes!”

“Verry good.” Fíli sounded extremely pleased with himself. He continued to rub his palm softly against her sex. “I would love to touch you everywhere. Kiss every inch of your skin ...”

“Do it”, she whispered. It felt sinful. Forbidden, yet in a delicious way. 

“Everyhwere?”

“Yes.”

His lips were soft, so very soft, and the silver decorations in his beard cool against her heated skin. 

 

When she awoke in the morning (the fact that it was morning only noticeable by the light that came through the yellow-tinted crystal windows in the ceiling), Fíli was still asleep. 

He smiled in his sleep, and Gerrun could all too well imagine what he was dreaming of. Who would have thought that her wedding night would be so much more enjoyable than their first time?  
The thought of the talk her mother had given her made her chuckle. “That it hurts the first time, you know already”, she had been informed. “And how it works, too. If you don’t want to, you tell him you have an headache, and he better sleep alone then, if he doesn’t want me to come and give him a piece of my mind.”

With Fíli, it hadn’t hurt. Not even the first time, when she had been so clumsy and eager. His sex had just the right size to fit into hers, and it had been very pleasurable even though it had been over so quickly. 

He moved beside her, struggled free of the blanket that had covered his body. 

When he was not aroused, his sex was really small. She had seen men, of course, peeing at walls after Fair days, and knew the average sizes. 

Her beloved husband didn’t have such a monstrosity between his legs. His was about as short as her little finger, but much thicker. Just perfect. 

“Good morning”, he said softly. 

She jolted, as she hadn’t even noticed he was awake. “To you, too.” She smiled shyly. “Thank you for last night.”

“I thank you.”

“I’m sorry we didn’t get to, um, really sleep with each other.”

“Huh? I don’t know about you, but I was asleep just now.”

“You know what I mean. The ...” She made a gesture she had some men do, but never dared to use before. 

“Oh! The act of begetting children? Well, you told me you are with child already, so there is no need to be sorry.” He sat up. “I am so honoured you want children by me.”

She frowned. “You ... only do that when you want children?”

“Well, yes, that is the purpose of it, after all.” He stared at her. “So you ... you did not intend to ... have me father your child?” His shoulders dropped. “Oh. I thought ...”

“I ... I just ... I don’t know ... I obviously risked it, but ... I do think you are the best father for my children I could possibly get.” She laid a hand on his shoulder. “It is just that ... what I did back then is the only thing that humans do in bed. For all I know.”

“Besides sleeping.”

“Yes.” She chuckled. “Of course. I didn’t know you could ...” Except she did. She had had quite a fulfilling relationship with her own right hand in her younger years, and had started again when Fíli had begun courting her ... but that was different. Just like scratching an itch. It was not something one’s husband did. Except he had done it and it had been so much more exciting than when she did it herself, and so much more satisfying than what she had initiated months ago. 

“But, how ... how come then that men even find wives?”

She must have looked as puzzled as she was, for he added an explanation. 

“I mean, how do they pleasure women, then? I am obviously very honoured that you chose me to father your children, but ... usually, you would want to test what good I am in bed, and you need to test that before you make important decisions. I am flattered that you didn’t feel the need! But ...”

Gerrun chuckled. He was so cute in his confusion. “Our cultures are very different, it seems. Women don’t expect much pleasure ... marriage is more about money and safety and so on. And love, if you’re lucky. But not ... that.”

 

Fíli’s eyes went wide with shock. “I can’t ... I ... I am sorry, I really want to respect your people, but ...”

“It is alright, love.” She caressed his neck slowly. “Really. I much prefer your culture in that aspect.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading! It was lots of fun to give dwarves an unique culture of my own making.  
> Maybe the fact that Fíli was embarrassed about being given The Talk needs some explaining; it is not so much that he's ashamed of talking about sex (he isn't), but that he views the older members of Thorin's company as honorary uncles, and talking about sex with them is almost as bad as if his mother had given him the talk. (No one ever wants to know about one's parents' sex life, so ...)


End file.
